Scandal Sheet

On the occasion of a new biography being released in early October, we wanted to revisit this early episode that covers the same material. Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef, best-selling author, and international television star, unexpectedly commits an apparent suicide at age 62 - at the very zenith of his fame. How could this possibly happen? And what lessons for us lie beneath this Shakespeare-esque tragedy? Our guest in this episode, is notable, professional grief/loss consultant, Maureen Desmond, who has a podcast of her own called, “Giving Grief A Voice”. Together, we attempt to unravel and penetrate the details of the rollercoaster life of this complicated, uniquely American person that led to his terrible demise. Please reach out to us at contact@scandalsheetpod.com, find us on Facebook as 'Scandal Sheet' or on Twitter @scandal_sheet.

Maureen’s website:

https://www.navigatingthroughloss.com

Thumbnail Photo: Wikipedia Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/legalcode

First published November 2021.

Are cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, a sham – or the future of global exchange value? Should we hunker down with the US dollar, the Euro, the Chinese Yuan, gold, or silver? OR…should we look to the future? Your hosts dive deep on this controversial subject, as we interview a cryptocurrency expert, EZRA VAZQUEZ-D’AMICO. Ezra works for the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, BBB’s charitable, non-profit arm. BBB WGA is the U.S.’s leading charity evaluator. Ezra helped found a philanthropic, online platform called GiveSafely, that leverages the blockchain and welcomes cryptocurrency donations. This super smart guy knows everything on this subject so buckle up and prepare to be educated on what – and let’s be honest – most of us are still scratching our heads about and wish we knew more. Today, you came to the right place.

Go to Givesafely.io to learn more about his platform.. Contact Ezra at: evazquezdamico@give.org should your org want to be included. Also, here’s a link to his article on crypto-philanthropy give.org/wise-giving-guide-new.

Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA  SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792

In addition to pools, beaches, and outdoor BBQs, nothing defines summer more than its ferocious, damaging, and deadly storms. We interview an old friend, Rob from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, a founding member of our frequent guests, the Met’s Mob. Rob was witness to America’s largest and most destructive hurricane on record, as it struck New York City. HURRICANE SANDY. Its 10th anniversary is next month. With his unique and legendary wit, Rob shares his personal story, that of the larger city … and that of his Mother.

Since the 1975 film, “Jaws” broke every box-office record, sharks became America’s favorite, summer terror. While Caribbean/Gulf sharks in New England waters were pure fiction 50 years ago…that is not the case today. Recently, there has been an explosion of unprecedented shark sightings and attacks in North Atlantic waters. Are these predators truly man-eaters trolling our beaches for a human buffet? Or, are they mostly minding their own business and simply following their food sources migration into warming waters. Your hosts drill deep into the real story. In the meantime, avoid the community pool - ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!

Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA  SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792

Like everyone, the Scandal Sheet staff desires a needed break from serious topics. So our version of a vacation is to send our co-host, Ellie, to an all-expense paid trip to one of America’s favorite destinations – a theme park. Back in 1955, Walt Disney made a crazy investment that everyone on Wall Street advised him not to do. He put every dime he had on the line and held his breath. It was an early theme park called, “Disneyland”. Despite dire projections, it paid off a million times over and so have its many sister parks. Taking Disney’s example, hundreds of theme parks, around the world, have now, collectively, become multi-trillion dollar business, 60+ years later. But do scandals lie simmering beneath these places of family happiness?

Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA  SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792

Thumbnail graphic elements courtesy Wikipedia Creative Commons.

The forecasted demise of the American labor movement may have been a tad premature. After 4 decades of steep membership and influence decline, unions are attempting a reboot in so-called “progressive” companies, such as: Amazon, Starbucks, Apple, and Google. So, what IS a labor union and why should those of us not in a union care? Co-host Ellie, a commercial airline pilot and current union member, helps us understand how a modern union works, the benefits today’s non-union workers enjoy as a result of historic union efforts (e.g. 40 hour, 5 day work week) and what role organized labor’s role might play in our national future.

Thumbnail courtesy Wikipedia Creative Commons.

The new super majority goes for it! They flex their judicial muscles and overturn 2 giant precedents in less than a week, both in 6-3 decisions. We let other pods debate the partisan politics. Our goal is to understand the underlying judicial logic in these decisions and what it may portend for other important precedents going forward, which now appear vulnerable. We are again joined by listener fav, New York “Super Lawyer”, David Grover, of the firm David and Fensterstock to provide legal analysis and help us understand these thorny issues.

 If you wish to reach David Grover, for legal assistance: 212-527-7575, DGrover@GroverFen.com.

Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA  SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792

Thumbnail graphic elements courtesy Wikipedia Creative Commons.

For those who missed it, we wanted to give listeners the opportunity to hear this May episode before we publish a fresh follow-up on the Court next week. In this episode, we review the circumstances of a leaked draft opinion in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health case – which became the actual opinion on June 24. Then everyone went nuts! We are again joined by New York “Super Lawyer”, David Grover, of the firm David and Fensterstock to provide legal analysis.

NOTE: we let other podcasts debate the merits of this case. Politics ain’t our thing. Instead, our goal is to understand the judicial logic of the key Justices, whether that logic matches their sworn testimony before the Senate Judicial Committee, and if that logic is consistent from case-to-case and/or with the 233 year history of the court. Scandal here? You decide. You may be surprised what you hear …

If you wish to reach David Grover, for legal assistance: 212-527-7575, DGrover@GroverFen.com.

Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA  SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792

With the recent release of a feature-length documentary, we look back on the tumultuous life and career of one of the bestselling authors of the late 20^th century, KURT VONNEGUT. Mostly revered - but also criticized - his “postmodern” approach to fiction, beginning with his groundbreaking novels, “Slaughterhouse 5” and “Breakfast of Champions”, profoundly changed the way audiences, around the globe, experience stories today, in any media. We welcome back our millennial, co-founding co-host, Kassia, and her millennial friend, a sports marketer and film history podcaster, Dylan. Helped by their surprising and youthful insights, we dissect a remarkable 57 year writing career and examine if the star, of this bestselling author, is diminishing, only 15 years after his death.

Kassia’s podcast, “Have We Met Before”: https://apple.co/3Od5Xqt

Dylan’s podcast, “The Great Movies Pod: A Retrospective Film Review Show”: https://apple.co/3zDkQOf

Documentary, “Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In Time” On Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3OgQDsf

On the occasion of a Congressional Hearing last week – the first in 50 years – UFOs are back in the national spotlight. You don’t have to listen to the entire hearing on CSPAN, as we have the most important 5 minutes here. BONUS: We replay our hilarious and informative UFO Episode from last summer, “UFOs: Unrelenting Freaking Obstruction” (15:47 mins).

Founding co-host, Kassia, is featured in both the cold open and in the bonus replay.

Our music is composed, preformed and produced by the genius John Hoekstra. You Tube https://youtube.com/channel/UC2Gon6qb9ar07BP0hsNPXdA  SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/user-363005792

Thumbnail photos courtesy Wikipedia commons.